The present invention provides novel polynucleotides and proteins encoded by such polynucleotides, along with therapeutic, diagnostic and research utilities for these polynucleotides and proteins.
Technology aimed at the discovery of protein factors (including e.g., cytokines, such as lymphokines, interferons, CSFs, chemokines, and interleukins) has matured rapidly over the past decade. The now routine hybridization cloning and expression. cloning techniques clone novel polynucleotides xe2x80x9cdirectlyxe2x80x9d in the sense that they rely on information directly related to the discovered protein (i.e., partial DNA/amino acid sequence of the protein in the case of hybridization cloning; activity of the protein in the case of expression cloning). More recent xe2x80x9cindirectxe2x80x9d cloning techniques such as signal sequence cloning, which isolates DNA sequences based on the presence of a now well-recognized secretory leader sequence motif, as well as various PCR-based or low stringency hybridization cloning techniques, have advanced the state of the art by making available large numbers of DNA/amino acid sequences for proteins that are known to have biological activity by virtue of their secreted nature in the case of leader sequence cloning, or by virtue of the cell or tissue source in the case of PCR-based techniques. It is to these proteins and the polynucleotides encoding them that the present invention is directed. In particular, this invention is directed to a novel Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist.
Cytokines, such as Interleukin-1, are well known to cause morphological and functional alterations in endothelial cells. These alterations occur in part as a result of xe2x80x9cendothelial cell activationxe2x80x9d Distinct immune-mediators such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1 (Interleukin-1), and gamma-interferon (IFN) appear to induce different but partially overlapping patterns of endothelial cell activation including increased procoagulant activity (Bevilaqua (1986) PNAS, 83:4533-4537), PGI and 2 production (Rossi (1985), Science, 229:174-176), HLA antigen expression (Pober (1987) J. Immunol., 138:3319-3324) and lymphocyte adhesion molecules (Carender (1987) J. Immunol., 138:2149-2154). These cytokines are also reported to cause hypotension, vascular hemorrhage, and ischemia (Goldblum et al. 1989, Tracey et al. Science 234:470, 1986). A major dose limiting toxicity of these and other biological response modifiers is hypotension and vascular leakage (Dvorak (1989) J.N.C.I., 81 :497-502).
The ability of IL-1 to modify biological responses has been demonstrated in a variety of studies. For example, the administration of Interleukin-1 to rabbits (Wakabayashi et al., FASEB J 1991;5:338; Okusawa et al. J Clin Invest 1988;81:1162; Ohlsson et al., Nature 1990;348:550; Aiura, et al. Cytokine 1991;4:498) and primates (Fischer et al. Am J Physiol 1991;261:R442) has been shown to result in hypotension, tachycardia, lung edema, renal failure, and, eventually, death, depending on the dose. When the serum from the Interleukin-1 treated animals is examined, the elevation of other cytokines is evident, mimicking the levels seen in acute pancreatitis in humans. (Guice et al., J Surg Res 1991;51:495-499; Heath et al., Pancreas 1993;66:41-45) There is a large body of evidence currently available which supports the role of Interleukin-1 as a major mediator of the systemic response to diseases such as sepsis and pancreatitis and as an activator of the remaining members of the cytokine cascade. (Dinarello et al., Arch Surg 1992;127:1350-1353).
The cytokine Interleukin-1 is a key mediator in the inflammatory response (for reviews, see Dinarello (1991) Blood 77: 1627-1652; Dinarello et al. (1993) New England J. Med. 328:106-113; Dinarello (1994) FASEB J. 8:1314-1325). The importance of Interleukin-1 in inflammation has been demonstrated by the ability of the highly specific Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein to relieve inflammatory conditions (for review, see Dinarello (1991) Blood 77: 1627-1652; Dinarello et al. (1993) New England J. Med. 328:106-113; Dinarello (1994) FASEB J. 8:1314-1325; Dinarello (1993) Immunol. Today 14:260-264). Many of the proinflammatory effects of Interleukin-1, such as the upregulation of cell adhesion molecules on vascular endothelia, are exerted at the level of transcriptional regulation. The transcriptional activation by Interleukin-1 of cell adhesion molecules and other genes involved in the inflammatory response appears to be mediated largely by NF-kappa B (Shirakawa et al. (1989) Molc. Cell Biol. 9:2424-2430; Osborn et al., (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:2336-2340; Krasnow et al., (1991) Cytokine 3:372-379; Collins et al., (1993) Trends Cardiovasc. Med. 3:92-97). In response to Interleukin-1, the NF-kappa B inhibitory factor I kappa B is degraded and NF-kappa B is released from its inactive cytoplasmic state to localize within the nucleus where it binds DNA and activates transcription (Liou et al. (1993) Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 5:477-487; Beg et al., (1993) Mol. Cell. Bid. 13:3301-3310).
Interleukin-1 is also a mediator of septic shock. Septic shock, a life-threatening complication of bacterial infections, affects 150,000 to 300,000 patients annually in the United States (Parrillo, J. E. (1989), Septic Shock in Humans: Clinical Evaluation, Pathogenesis, and Therapeutic Approach (2nd ed.) In: Textbook of Critical Care Shoemaker, et al., editors, Saunders Publishing Co., Philadelphia, Pa., pp. 1006). The cardiovascular collapse and multiple metabolic derangements associated with septic shock are due largely to bacterial endotoxin (ET), which has been shown to elicit a septic shock-like condition when administered to animals (Natanson, et al. (1989), Endotoxin and Tumor Necrosis Factor Challenges in Dogs Simulate the Cardiovascular Profile of Human Septic Shock, J. Exp. Med. 169:823). Thus, there is a great need for modulators of Interleukin-1.
The compositions of the present invention include novel isolated polypeptides, in particular, novel Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist proteins (referred to hereafter as IL-1Hy1 or IL-1 Hy1 receptor antagonist), isolated polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, including recombinant DNA molecules, cloned genes or degenerate variants thereof, especially naturally occurring variants such as allelic variants, and antibodies that specifically recognize one or more epitopes present on such polypeptides.
The compositions of the present invention additionally include vectors, including expression vectors, containing the polynucleotides of the invention, cells genetically engineered to contain such polynucleotides and cells genetically engineered to express such polynucleotides.
The isolated polynucleotides of the invention include, but are not limited to, a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or 5.
The isolated polynucleotides of the invention further include, but are not limited to, a polynucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 4, or 6; a polynucleotide comprising the full length protein coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 4, or 6, and; a polynucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence of the mature protein coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 4, or 6. The polynucleotides of the present invention also include, but are not limited to, a polynucleotide that hybridizes to the complement of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 4, or 6 under stringent hybridization conditions; a polynucleotide which is an allelic variant of any polynucleotide recited above; a polynucleotide which encodes a species homolog of any of the proteins recited above; or a polynucleotide that encodes a polypeptide comprising a specific domain or truncation of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 4, or 6.
The isolated polynucleotides of the invention further include, but are not limited to a polynucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence of the genomic clone SEQ ID NO: 7 or 8; a polynucleotide assembled from one or more of the exons of SEQ ID NO: 7 or 8; a polynucleotide assembled from one or more of the introns of SEQ ID NO: 7 or 8; a polynucleotide assembled from one or more of the exons of SEQ ID NO: 7 or 8 and one or more of the introns of SEQ ID NO: 7 or 8; a polynucleotide comprising the full length protein coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7 or 8; a polynucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence of the mature protein coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7 or 8.
The polynucleotides of the present invention also include, but are not limited to, a polynucleotide that hybridizes to the complement of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7 or 8 under stringent hybridization conditions; a polynucleotide that hybridizes to the complement of any one of the introns or exons of SEQ ID NO: 7 or 8 under stringent hybridization conditions; a polynucleotide which is an allelic variant of any polynucleotide recited above; a polynucleotide which encodes a species homolog of any of the proteins recited above; or a polynucleotide that encodes a polypeptide comprising a specific domain or truncation of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 7 or 8.
The polynucleotides of the present invention still further include, but are not limited to, a polynucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA insert of clone pIL-1Hy273 deposited with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC; 10801 University Blvd., Manassas, Va., 20110-2209, U.S.A.); a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or 5 which polynucleotide is assembled from the cDNA insert of clone pIL-1Hy273; a polynucleotide comprising the full length protein coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or 5 which polynucleotide is assembled from the cDNA insert of clone pIL-1Hy273; or, a polynucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence of the mature protein coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or 5.
The polynucleotides of the invention additionally include the complement of any of the polynucleotides recited above.
A collection as used in this application can be a collection of only one polynucleotide. The collection of sequence information or identifying information of each sequence can be provided on a nucleic acid array. In one embodiment, segments of sequence information are provided on a nucleic acid array to detect the polynucleotide that contains the segment. The array can be designed to detect nucleic acids that are perfectly complementary (full-match) or mismatched to the polynucleotide that contains the segment. The collection can also be provided in a computer-readable format.
The isolated polypeptides of the invention include, but are not limited to, a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or 5, a full length protein of SEQ ID NO: 3 or 5; a mature protein coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5, preferably having a molecular mass as determined by SDS-PAGE of about 16 or 17 kDa, or less, and more preferably, having a molecular mass by SDS-PAGE of about 15.5 or about 16.5 kDa; or a polypeptide encoded by one or more of the exons of SEQ ID NO: 7 or 8.
The polypeptides of the present invention further include, but are not limited to, a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of clone pIL-1Hy273 deposited with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC; 10801 University Blvd., Manassas, Va., 20110-2209, U.S.A.); a full length protein of SEQ ID NO: 3 or 5 assembled from the amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of clone pIL-1Hy273; or, a mature protein coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or assembled from the amino acid sequence encoded by cDNA insert of clone pIL-1Hy273, preferably having a molecular mass as determined by SDS-PAGE of about 16 kDa, or less, more preferably, having a molecular mass by SDS-PAGE of about 15.5 kDa.
Protein compositions of the present invention may further comprise an acceptable carrier, such as a hydrophilic, e.g., pharmaceutically acceptable, carrier.
The invention also relates to methods for producing a polypeptide comprising growing a culture of the cells of the invention in a suitable culture medium, and purifying the protein from the culture. Preferred embodiments include those in which the protein produced by such process is a mature form of the protein.
Polynucleotides according to the invention have numerous applications in a variety of techniques known to those skilled in the art of molecular biology. These techniques include use as hybridization probes, use as oligomers for PCR, use for chromosome and gene mapping, use in the recombinant production of protein, and use in generation of anti-sense DNA or RNA, their chemical analogs and the like. For example, when the expression of an mRNA is largely restricted to a particular cell or tissue type, polynucleotides of the invention can be used as hybridization probes to detect the presence of the particular cell or tissue mRNA in a sample using, e.g., in situ hybridization.
In other exemplary embodiments, the polynucleotides are used in diagnostics as expressed sequence tags for identifying expressed genes or, as well known in the art and exemplified by Vollrath et al., Science 258:52-59 (1992), as expressed sequence tags for physical mapping of the human genome.
The polypeptides according to the invention can be used in a variety of conventional procedures and methods that are currently applied to other proteins. For example, a polypeptide of the invention can be used to generate an antibody that specifically binds the polypeptide. The polypeptides of the invention can also be used as molecular weight markers, and as a food supplement.
Methods are also provided for preventing, treating or ameliorating a medical condition which comprises administering to a mammalian subject a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising a protein of the present invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
In particular, the polypeptides and polynucleotides of the invention can be utilized, for example, as part of methods for the prevention and/or treatment of disorders involving sepsis, acute pancreatitis, endotoxic shock, cytokine induced shock, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic inflammatory arthritis, pancreatic cell damage from diabetes mellitus type 1, graft versus host disease, inflammatory bowel disease, inflamation associated with pulmonary disease, other autoimmune disease or inflammatory disease, allergies or bronchitis (including chronic allergies and chronic bronchitis), an antiproliferative agent such as for acute or chronic myelogenous leukemia or in the prevention of premature labor secondary to intrauterine infections. Treatment of inflammation resulting from allergic reactions or acute or chronic infections (caused by viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoan or other organisms) is specifically contemplated.
The methods of the present invention further relate to methods for detecting the presence of the polynucleotides or polypeptides of the invention in a sample. Such methods can, for example, be utilized as part of prognostic and diagnostic evaluation of disorders as recited above and for the identification of subjects exhibiting a predisposition to such conditions. Furthermore, the invention provides methods for evaluating the efficacy of drugs, and monitoring the progress of patients, involved in clinical trials for the treatment of disorders as recited above.
The invention also provides methods for the identification of compounds that modulate the expression of the polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention. Such methods can be utilized, for example, for the identification of compounds that can ameliorate symptoms of disorders as recited above. Such methods can include, but are not limited to, assays for identifying compounds and other substances that interact with (e.g., bind to) the polypeptides of the invention.
The methods of the invention also include methods for the treatment of disorders as recited above which may involve the administration of such compounds to individuals exhibiting symptoms or tendencies related to disorders as recited above. In addition, the invention encompasses methods for treating diseases or disorders as recited herein by administering compounds and other substances that modulate the overall activity of the target gene products. Compounds and other substances can effect such modulation either on the level of target gene expression or target protein activity.
The invention also specifically provides methods of treating an inflammatory disease state mediated by IL-18 comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an amount of IL-1 Hy1 polynucleotide, polypeptide or agonist of the invention effective to inhibit IL-18 activity. Also provided are in vitro and in vivo methods of inhibiting IL-18 activity.